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U16Bs beat reinforced Reading As Maidenhead
U16B 33 v Reading U16A 20 Sunday 25th April 2010 |
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Just four weeks ago, Maidenhead U16Bs had lent four players to help Reading RFC make up a full U16A team for a League match (two of the players scored tries). This week Reading had their own reinforcements. After a short discussion about the new players’ eligibility by registration and the perils of underage driving, after which no protest was made, Maids got on with the job of beating them. The first exchanges showed that both sides were willing to run the ball in the clear warm weather, a little morning rain just enough to give the ground a bit of give. Neither achieved much until Maids won a penalty on the Reading 22 and captain Shiv Khindria asked fullback Scott Atherton to kick the points. With the nerves steadied, the home side began to apply some pressure and opened their white line account when No. 8 Jacob Sanders picked up from a scrum, stood up in a firm tackle by Reading’s strong new No.7 and offloaded an inside ball to winger Matt Becksmith. Becksmith swerved out and stretched the cover wide and returned the favour for Sanders back on his shoulder and over. Atherton added another successful kick for a 10 point lead. Maids went to sleep a bit and paid the price when Reading’s fly half ran through a weak tackle on half way and found the space to run untouched under the posts. Perhaps matching complacency made the Reading kicker attempt the conversion by drop kick, and miss. The home players responded well to the wake up call, running hard in narrow channels with Will O’Callen-Smith and Ben Scolari punching large holes, and James Hibberdine slightly smaller but very effective ones. The ball went wide too and Greg McHugh was always a threat. It was his break to within 5 metres which resulted in a chaotic incipient ruck where Reading tried to flyhack clear only for Bryn Evans to block the kick and fall unopposed on the rebound in goal. Or did he soccer dribble in from 30m and outpace the winger and fullback to the touchdown? A 10 point cushion again with 8 minutes before half time but the sides were to turn around level. The reinforcements justified their callup. First the 19 shirt, playing scrumhalf although a head taller than most of his team, scored after supporting the 17 shirt’s pacy wing break. Then the roles were reversed and No.17 took a scoring pass after No.19’s powerful run through four or five tackles. Neither try was converted, George Lewis bravely charging down the first attempt and taking a painful blow in the abdomen in the process. As so often this season, Maidenhead upped the energy and tempo in the second half. A series of pick and drives saw Iain Whiteford crash over to restore the lead. More pressure led to a series of penalties in Reading’s 22 and eventually Whiteford converted one to add 3 more points. Even more intensity from Maids, more penalties and backchat from Reading, who were perhaps fortunate to avoid a sinbin visit. It may be that Scott Atherton’s try, overlapping wide left after two sweeping passing moves had outflanked the defence, seemed punishment enough. Reading scored a consolation try – giving them a creditable third try bonus point of an otherwise difficult campaign – when Maidenhead inexplicably kicked hopelessly from behind their tryline. But Whiteford finished off a fine performance with a powerful No.8 pickup and dive to make the game safe at 33-20. There have been controversies and oddities in the BYL Division 2 this season but Maidenhead finish as the top B team and having soundly beaten the champions Bracknell A, who were otherwise dominant in the competition. That match, and the two close games with Newbury, will live long in the memory. Everyone concerned with the age group can be proud of their achievement, not least stalwart coach Martin Sanders who is now moving down a few age groups to support one of his younger sons – it was a good send off! Squad: |